I have found this summer to be very interesting. In addition to the fantastic weather we have experienced in Alberta, which has enabled us to do many things close to home, my wife and I took a couple of trips to visit with friends in their new homes out of province. As usually happens when you catch up with old friends we had not seen for a while, much of our conversations were about “the good old days” and the activities and events we shared in the past. These memories are important to us as we build on those relationships which we hope will last, likely from a long distance, for many more years. At work as well, it is enjoyable to think back to the things we used to do, either at Bethany or with previous employers, often thinking back (sometimes enviously) about those “good old days.”
One of the things I have been working on is preparing for a Bethany Care Foundation Board retreat later this month. The purpose of this retreat is to have the Board think of their preferred future direction for the Foundation – to identify the directions that they would like to see the Foundation take over the next decade. At home as well, there are plenty of opportunities to plan for the future; whether it is for the educational course we would like to take, or how we will save to buy a new car or house, or establishing a plan to marry, start a family or retire. These are all times when looking into the future and attempting to build that perfect plan are important.
One of the things I have noticed is we often spend so much time looking back in our pasts and planning for the good times ahead, that we sometimes forget to focus our attention on the present time. What is the task I am doing today, how can I do it better, and what can I do to make sure I enjoy what I am doing? I believe this is true in our personal relationships and activities as well as what we do at work. The Standards for Service Excellence provide guidance for some of the ways that we all can provide the direction to our day-to-day work, as well as in how we interact with people in our personal lives, as we meet the challenges of meeting our day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. Applying focus and direction to those responsibilities is just one of the ways that we can meet Bethany’s mission of Creating Caring Communities.
As always, I welcome ideas, suggestions and any questions that you may have. Please feel free to send them to me at alasdair.smith@bethanyseniors.com.
Take care,
– Alasdair
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